State lawmakers introduced more than 40 immigration-related bills
Submissions mark majority Democratic legislature's greatest focus on issue in past 15 years, analysis shows
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Aline Behar Kado - Capital News ServiceApril 8, 2026 3:00 p.m. | Updated: April 8, 2026 2:17 p.m.
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Maryland’s majority Democratic legislature braced for the federal ramp up of immigration enforcement this session, introducing a flurry of immigration and citizenship-related bills.
Legislators introduced more bills on the topics in the 2026 session than in any of the past 15 years, according to an analysis by the Capital News Service.
“I think immigration has definitely been at the forefront, along with affordability, of what we’ve done this legislative session because we have a federal government that is actively attacking our immigrant community,” said Del. Tiffany Alston, D-Prince George’s.
Under the Trump administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have been sent to several cities nationwide to carry out federal operations. Public backlash has increased over what activists call aggressive tactics by ICE agents, including killing two people in Minneapolis earlier this year.
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Legislatures across the country, including Maryland, have introduced hundreds of immigration bills this year in the wake of the federal crackdown.
Nearly half of the 43 bills introduced in Maryland addressed public safety by among other things limiting cooperation between federal ICE and local public safety officials, including police and sheriffs and security personnel at schools and hospitals.
Only 15 bills moved forward in the legislative process increasing their chance of possibly becoming law this session.
One bill would make it easier for undocumented students to qualify for in-state tuition at public higher education institutions by reducing from three to two the years their parents or guardians would have to file income taxes.
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Immigration advocates said movement on some of the measures is a step forward.
“Even just one bill passing is a victory,” said Tamara Zuniga, a general body member for Progressive Maryland. “It’s disappointing that not all of it has gone forward, but I think that right now any sort of law, bill or act that’s been passed is deeply integral to telling Marylanders that this is their home.”
The high number of bills addressing concerns for immigrant communities shows how important it is for Marylanders to hold ICE accountable, Zuniga said.
“A lot of our community members … they are almost afraid to interact with law enforcement because law enforcement has been cooperating formally or informally with ICE,” said Zuniga. Many “immigration bills are focused on how do we stop the funneling of community members into the carceral and deportation machine.”
Gov. Wes Moore, a Democrat, has repeatedly challenged the federal government’s approach to immigration enforcement. He signed identical bills introduced in both chambers banning local law enforcement from entering into cooperation agreements with ICE, known as 287(g) agreements, in February.
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“We are seeing a Trump-Vance ICE operation that is moving in a way that is unlawful,” Moore said at the bill signing. “There needs to be accountability for this organization.”
The number of immigration bills enacted in legislatures across the country nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Immigration Legislation Database.
The spike in immigration related bills in Maryland is not surprising, particularly with upcoming elections, said Del. Lauren Arikan, R-Harford.
“It’s definitely an election year political theater for sure,’’ Arikan said. “Many of the bills are not going to pass. Many of the bills are unconstitutional. Many of the bills won’t be enforceable because ICE doesn’t have to listen to anything Maryland tells ICE to do because it’s a federal agency.”
Arikan said most of the bills that challenge the Trump administration’s immigration agenda could spur retaliation from the federal government.
“I would absolutely encourage President Trump to defund any jurisdictions or even a whole state, if necessary, who attempts to obfuscate the important role that ICE is playing keeping our country safe from folks that are coming here by and large to commit crimes,” said Arikan.
Other delegates said Maryland has been a federal target even before this legislative session.
“I think we are going to see an uptick of more immigration enforcement going on here and not because of a response to all the legislation that we’re putting up,” said Teresa Woorman, D-Montgomery. “The bullseye was there from before we started doing all of this. It was there when Congress funded (ICE), and that was before we had legislation ready to go.”
This article was originally published by Capital News Service.
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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine